


Blood Undenied

by ShermanWasTotallyMyBitch



Series: The Infernal Virtue [1]
Category: Demonica Series - Larissa Ione
Genre: Angels, Demons, F/M, Gen, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-12-31 13:05:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12133125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShermanWasTotallyMyBitch/pseuds/ShermanWasTotallyMyBitch
Summary: After finding her children slaughtered, the demon Ketsuna is out to find the being responsible. She is determined to make them pay at any cost but her own past is creeping up on her, an enraged mate that wants to see her face the same fate as her murdered children.





	1. Altima

Darkness was a blessed relief, soothing and silent. In darkness, the agony in Ketsuna’s chest died to a dull ache. She wanted the sweet release of an eternity of black nothingness, craved death as she had craved nothing else before. There was nothing left for her, nothing but pain and misery and hunger.  
_Wake up._  
No. She didn’t need, want, to wake up. Ever. Her limbs felt leaden, her mind finally empty.  
_It’s time. You can’t hide forever._  
A rare surge of anger disturbed the peace she had found. Hiding?! She wasn’t hiding from anything. She was damned tired and wanted nothing more than to pass on, to be with her-  
A rush of anguish shattered the blackness and she jackknifed to a sitting position, her eyes wide and unseeing as she screamed soundlessly, cradling her head in her hands. Light was piercing, blinding. Her frame shuddered and twitched as two strong arms wrapped around her and held her tightly. She froze and then struggled wordlessly, her fingers pushing ineffectively against broad shoulders.  
“Hey! Hey, settle down! You’re alright, you’re alright.” A pair of concerned blue eyes filled her vision and Ketsuna jerked away, nausea roiling through her. Pulling away from the arms around her, she heaved helplessly, emptying her stomach onto polished wood floors. The pain in her chest was unbelievable, worse than any wound she had sustained in her long existence. Keening, she heaved again and again, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, as if she could hold herself together by sheer will alone.  
Altima watched the female in sympathy as she emptied the contents of her stomach into his floor. He avoided looking at the mess, his nose wrinkled in disgust. He shouldn’t have been surprised at the color, because he knew what she was, but regurgitated blood was never a pretty sight.  
Reaching out slowly, he gently touched the female’s arm, feeling coiled strength in the corded muscles. Even sick and obviously suffering, she exuded danger and Altima knew she was lethal. For the three hundredth time since he had found her four days before, he questioned his decision in helping her, in bringing her back to his home. But he hadn’t been able to leave her like he’d found her.  
He had been in New York on an errand to collect ritual supplies when, from out of nowhere, he had been slammed with a wall of absolute torment. It had felt as if a bus made of misery had mowed him down in the street. Completely taken by surprise, Alt had paused in the middle of traffic, and had nearly been hit by a real bus. Before he could become mage roadkill, he had opened a Harrowgate, an interdemensional portal, and had followed the waves of rage and pain to a hidden network of caves in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. His stomach had been twisted into painful knots and he was shocked at the wetness of tears on his cheeks. He had hurried, knowing that the distress echoing from the caves would draw all manner of beings, most anticipating an easy meal.  
Inside a deep, icy cave, he had found her. The female had knelt in a mess of blood and gore, her long white hair falling in wild waves around her as she screamed until there was no sound and her mouth was full of blood. Her eyes had burned like molten gold and her hands were curled into talons at her sides. Altima had backed out of the cave, his heart pounding painfully against his ribs. He wasn’t at all prepared for a face-off with an enraged Oaru demon, certainly not a mourning female. Oaru demons scored a solid four on the Ufelskala scale, a measurement of evil that only ranged from one to five. Oaru males were cruel and liked to torture their food before they ate while the females were mostly benign. Unless they were mated or had offspring.  
He had ventured slowly back into the cave, his eyes picking up the greasy smears of dead demons. In the human realm, demons would disintegrate quickly after they were killed and left behind nasty, oily smudges. Looking even closer, he had finally noticed the tiny figure laying prone in front of the female. It was a newborn demonling, as pale as snow, its tiny chest a mess of gored flesh. As if he had refused to see it before, his eyes had begun to notice the tiny bodies, brutalized, drained, and scattered among the puddles of blood and mud. He had fled the chamber and promptly lost his lunch. Twelve, he had counted twelve tiny bodies. And three had been female.  
Oaru females were rare. Out of every ten born, there was maybe one female in a litter. The females remained emotionless until they gave birth and then they were driven by a fierce instinct to protect their young. A mated female with offspring scored a five easily on the Ufelskala scale. And something had slaughtered the female’s babies. What a waste. Three females born in one litter was a rare and momentous occasion for an Oaru mother.  
Altima had offered up a silent prayer to whatever gods were listening and had entered the chamber again, moving slowly as to not startle the mother. She hadn’t moved, hadn’t even looked his way. He had knelt slowly in front of her and her baby, uncaring of the blood soaking into the hem of his robes. This close, he could see numerous wounds covering the mother. She had fought fiercely, either against the creature that attacked her children or the demons that had tried to scavenge the dead bodies.  
He had eyed the baby between them. It had been dead for a few hours at least but the body had yet to disintegrate, probably slowed due to the overwhelmingly strong bond between mother and child. She was holding their souls to her. He had reached out a trembling hand and the mother had snarled, her eerie gaze locking onto him. Moving slowly, he had placed a gentle finger on the baby’s brow. Alt forced his pulse to slow and closed his eyes, releasing the child’s soul. It would go to Sheoul-gra where it would wait to be reborn to a new life. He had stood and, encouraged by the mother’s silence, had reverently gathered her babies, settling them gently in front of her. She had watched him as he released their spirits, one by one, to a final resting place. He could barely stand to look in her eyes and see the deep devastation there. Once he had released the babies’ souls, Alt had cleaned their blood from the cave floor with a wave of his hand and had crouched in front of the mother, who watched him silently.


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Altima takes the female demon back to his home to allow her time to heal.

“You have to let them go. You’ll see them again.” The demon had made a noise that had made goosebumps spread over his body, a sound that was somewhere between a whimper and a scream. But the bodies had quickly dissolved. Springing forward, he had reached out, his palm glowing with a spell. He had been terrified that the mother would attack him but she had simply watched him, uncaring if she died. He clapped his hand on her forehead and knocked her out with a spell, breathing a sigh of relief that it had actually worked on her. He wouldn’t, couldn’t, leave her there to be willingly eaten by something drawn by her pain.  
So, like a fool, he had taken her to his home, a towering keep in Ireland, hidden from human eyes by a cloaking spell. The three Trillah demons that he kept on staff had scrambled into action, preparing a spare bedroom for the unconscious female that he struggled to hold on to. But, gods, was she heavy! Even though Altima spent ninety percent of his time in his lab or his office studying spells or creating potions for his customers, he was no slouch. His constant search for new spell material kept him healthy and muscled. He wasn’t a stranger to hard work but the tall female was corded with strength and muscle herself and lugging her around made him pant with exhaustion pretty quickly. Sylphur, one of the two male Trillahs, helped Altima get the female up the stairs to the guest rooms. Well, Sylphur had carried the Oaru while Alt had stopped to catch his breath at the bottom of the stairs. Once the female was tucked into a guest room and Altima had relearned how to breathe, he called his staff into his office.  
Seating himself behind his desk, Altima looked in silence at the three Trillah demons and Paine, his vampire chef. The Trillahs were lithe and tall catlike demons with golden skin that would be covered by silky gold fur in the winter. Sylphur, the larger of the males, had been with Alt for many years. His features were angular and exotic, his large almond-shaped eyes the color of spring grass. His hair fell in a shimmering tawny curtain to the small of his back and Alt watched as Sylphur plucked at his loose white shirt with annoyance. Strix, the smaller Trillah male, had skin that was a paler gold with a white blaze on his narrow chest and around his right eye. In the winter, his fur was even marked. Strix’s eyes were a fierce yellow and his thin lips were always tipped in a smirk. Strix had always had a bit of an attitude, since the day that Altima had found him as a cub in a stinking Sheoul demon pit, about to be lunch for an ugly Cruentus demon. The smallest of the Trillah demons was Minx, a young female with rose-gold skin, a glossy cap of pale hair, and startling icy blue eyes. She was petite and the other Trillahs towered over her, but both had a protective streak a mile wide when it came to Minx. Minx had to been given to Altima as payment from a rather cruel Neethul demon for a nasty bit of spellwork that Alt still didn’t feel right about. But, when Vanoth had offered Minx, a tiny cub with lifeless, empty eyes and bruises marring her skin, he had capitulated. His stomach still burned with rage at the memory of Minx, broken and terrified of everyone and everything. It had taken years to get her to gain a little trust and confidence in her new family. She still had nightmares about it but either Sylphur of Strix would sit with her until she could sleep again.  
Minx wasn’t the first slave that Altima had taken as payment. Neethul demons were brutal slave-traders. They were gorgeous, a humanoid demon that looked like elves with narrow faces, long hair, and pointed ears, but they lived to torture and murder their slaves. Paine had also been a victim of the Neethulum slave-trade. He had also been another gift from Vanoth, who knew that vampire blood and saliva was useful in certain potions. Alt had never asked Paine for either of those things.  
“Alt?” Sylphur arched a brow and tugged again at his shirt. Altima watched the movement with a sigh and ran his hands through his hair, mussing the brown locks.  
“I found the demon. She was in-” Alt paused, taking a breath. “Distress.” Concern crossed Minx’s face and she moved closer to Strix, who slung a careless arm over her narrow shoulders. “She’s an Oaru demon and her babies were murdered.” Only Sylphur seemed to understand the horror of the situation, as his face paled, but the others reacted in shock as well.  
“Are you certain that having her here is a good idea? Around the kids?” Sylphur asked, his body rigid. Altima rubbed his face, his shoulders tensing.  
“I couldn’t leave her there, Sylphur. I felt her pain, it blasted into me. We just have to watch her but I seriously doubt she’ll be a danger to the kids.” He looked to Strix and Minx. “You guys keep the kids preoccupied and away from her room for now. She needs time to rest and heal. I don’t know how she’ll react when she wakes up.” They both nodded and, for once, Strix didn’t have a rude reply. Next, he looked to Paine, who watched him silently.  
Paine was a pretty stoic guy, mellow and good with Alt’s kids. He was tall, with sandy blonde hair and forest green eyes. He had several tattoos circling his arms, and one on his neck of a bleeding rose. He was a damned good cook, too. “Paine, Oaru demons are primarily blood-drinkers but they’ll eat just about anything, other demons included.” Paine raised an ashy brow but just nodded. The man wasn’t much for talking.

Alt leaned back in his chair, scowling down at the blood staining the bottom of his robes. No doubt there were probably bloody marks throughout the house where he’d walked in. He looked back up at Sylphur. “Hey, could you bring me the kids?”  
Sylphur nodded and left the office, the others trailing behind. When the door shut, Altima peeled his robes off and tossed them into the bathroom adjoining his office. Under the robes he wore a comfortable faded gray tee shirt and a pair of equally faded jeans. Returning to his desk, he waited and, two minutes later, heard an excited shriek as Sylphur pushed the door open. In his arms was a squirming two year old toddler, reaching out with chubby arms to her father, who jumped up to grab her. Behind Sylphur were two boys.   
Taking Serana from Sylphur, Alt planted a kiss on her forehead, tucking her against his chest as he sat down. He smiled at the two boys. Jeremiah, who was ten years old, ran to his father and hugged him tightly. Ryland, who was twelve, watched from the other side of the desk. Altima pulled Jeremiah up into his lap and looked expectantly at Ryland, who just scoffed and flopped into one of the chairs in front of the desk. Alt shrugged and smiled as Serana sloppily kissed his cheek, rambling in broken sentences about her day.  
“So, who was the lady you brought home?” Ryland was never one to beat around the bush. Alt looked at his oldest son.   
“I wanted to talk to you guys about that. She’s going to be staying here for a little bit until she feels better.” Ryland scowled and Serana touched Alt’s face with a small hand.   
“What happened, Daddy?” she asked sweetly, managing to look worried and happy at the same time. Alt looked at his daughter, her dark hair in wild, tangled waves around her round face, her tiny dimples and wide blue eyes, and his stomach tightened in a sudden fear of ever losing her or any of his kids. He looked down at Jeremiah, who had his mother’s black hair and hazel eyes, a happy grin always on his face. Ryland was nearly the spitting image of Altima but he rarely smiled. Not since the divorce, anyway.   
“Someone hurt her babies. She misses them a lot.” Alt was surprised and horrified when Serana’s face scrunched up and she burst into tears, pressing her face against his chest while her small hand tugged on his shirt. Shushing her quietly, he looked at Ryland, then Jeremiah. “I need you guys to let us handle her and watch after Serana for me.” They both nodded gravely. After calming Serana down, Alt left the kids to Sylphur to shower and prepare himself for a trip. He needed answers, needed to know if anyone knew about the demon that was asleep upstairs in his house.


	3. Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The female demon is awake and Altima must face the consequences of allowing her into his home.

Four days later, Alt stepped through his front door and was immediately assaulted by Strix and Minx. They were both talking and, Altima, who was bone-weary and holding several heavy bags, drooped against the door. “One at a time! What’s going on?”  
“I think your demon chick is dead,” Strix said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “She’s barely moved since Sylphur put her upstairs.”  
Alt blinked and dropped the bags at the door. Minx, who was wringing her hands worriedly, swallowed. “We can’t get her to eat or respond to anything. It’s like she wants to die.”  
“She probably does,” Alt replied, rubbing his neck. “Oaru females live solely for their children. They’re incredible mothers and I can’t imagine how painful it must be to lose not one child but twelve.” Strix and Minx both went pale.  
“T-Twelve babies?” Minx asked, sinking back against Strix. Altima nodded and sighed. “Something slaughtered them. She had held their souls to her for hours. The mothers bond from the moment that their children are conceived and it is probably the most powerful maternal bond known to demonkin. Oaru mothers have been known to go into murderous rampages just from the loss of one child.”  
Strix swallowed hard. “And you left one of those upstairs while you were gone?!”  
Altima narrowed his eyes at Strix. “I doubt she is in much shape to do anything but I would not want to be whatever demon it was that killed her children when she comes to.”  
He looked at the bags. “Minx, those are some clothes and other things for her. If you and Strix will take them upstairs, I’ll see about waking her up.” They nodded and went to the bags, Strix taking most and leaving Minx with the two lightest. Altima followed them upstairs, unsure of what he would find. He didn’t know what to expect if he did manage to wake her up. Would she go nuts and try to murder everyone? Alt had been in a lot of dangerous situations but he really wasn’t cool with being a snack for an angry momma demon.   
Strix and Minx got to the bedroom before Altima did and Alt eyed the slightly open door with trepidation. Taking a breath, he stepped in and blinked at the still figure in the bed, a colorful quilt tucked nearly to her chin. Minx and Strix looked down at the demon and Alt really didn’t want them in the room when he attempted to wake her.   
“Hey, why don’t you guys go find the kids? Take them outside to play or something?” They both looked almost relieved and bolted from the room, shutting the door firmly behind them. Alt stood and crossed to the door, locking it in case something did go wrong. Stepping quietly, he slowly lowered himself to the edge of the bed.  
She looked almost peaceful in her sleep. Her head was turned slightly to the window, her hair coiled in a long braid beside her head. Minx. If the thought of Minx close enough to braid the demon’s hair didn’t make him sweat bullets, Alt might have smiled. The demon was lovely, having an almost savage beauty that could probably rival even the Neethulum, who were rumored to be descended from angels. Her cheek bones were razor sharp, her nose straight and elegant. Her chin was narrow and her lips were full and a little darker than the perfect ivory of her skin. Her eyes were slightly tilted and ringed with thick lashes that rested on her cheeks like snowflakes. The dark circles around her eyes should have made her look unattractive but it just added another dimension to her looks. This close, Alt could see a very faint, thin scar across one cheek. He swallowed, reaching out with a shaking hand. Before he could feather a finger over the thin scar, he pulled his hand away.   
“Wake up,” he said, leaning closer. She didn’t move but he could almost sense a response. “It’s time. You can’t hide forever.”  
He leaned back with a sigh and then nearly wet himself when she jerked up in bed, her hands grabbing her head and ripping at her hair. Her mouth was open in a yawning scream but no sound escaped. Her body jerked and Altima grabbed her shoulders, pulling her into his arms before she could hurt herself. His pulse thundered wildly in his chest and his breath sawed out of him. When she started to push against him, Alt tried to calm her, calm them both down. “Hey! Hey, settle down! You’re alright, you’re alright.” Her eyes, an incredible gold, seared him with the misery in them.  
She jerked away and he watched as she puked all over his floor, wincing because he knew that Minx was going to chew him out for the mess. He looked away, tried to not smell it. His own stomach was roiling but he forced it to calm. The female, still choking, started making horrible sounds in her throat, a high-pitched noise that reminded him of a small animal dying. Goosebumps rose on his arms but he tried to comfort her when he was distracted by a laughing shriek outside the window across the room. Minx must have the kids playing outside.  
The female paused and then shuddered again, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. Altima knew how dangerous she was in her vulnerable state. He gently touched her arm, intending to give her a calming spell, when there was a loud cry from the yard outside. Serana!  
Altima’s head jerked to the window then back to the female as she stiffened. All he had time to see was her eyes bleed from gold to red and she was gone in a blur of white, knocking Altima to the floor. He hit the floor and scrambled to his feet, bellowing out in fear as he skid from the room, barely noticing the wreck of the door. His hands burned crimson with a killing spell and he made it outside just in time to see the demon lunging to Serana, who laid in a crumpled heap under a tree, her eyes closed. His brain paralyzed in a gut-wrenching fear, he shot out a spell and watched in horror as it veered closer to Serana. In a flash, the demon had grabbed Serana and tucked her beneath her body, rolling as the spell slammed into the tree, that immediately began to wither and die.   
The demon crouched over Serana, snarling so loudly that her body vibrated. Altima stumbled closer, his hand once again glowing. He would have to be extremely careful; the last spell had gone much too close to his daughter. Minx came flying around the side of the house, distracting Altima and bring the demon’s attention to her. The demon snarled louder, angling her body so that Serana was shielded from both Minx and Altima.  
Motioning for Minx who was crying quietly to stay back, Alt let the spell in his hand die out. He held up both hands and took a slow step forward. The demon snarled again, baring a mouth full of fangs at Altima. But she hovered protectively over his daughter.   
“Hey,” he said, speaking low and softly. “It’s alright. I won’t hurt her.” He took another step forward and the female stiffened, her muscles tightening. Her eyes still glowed an unholy red, her braid writhing against her chest. He swallowed hard. “I just want to make sure she’s okay.”  
Her eyes narrowed but the snarls died a little. She didn’t move away from Serana. Instead, she turned and gently scooped the small child up to her chest, still crouched defensively. Keeping an eye on Alt and Minx, she sniffed Serana, one hand moving lightly, carefully over the child. She’s looking for broken bones, Alt realized in shock. Finding a few scrapes on Serana’s arm, the female, keeping her eyes on them at all times, gently laved her tongue over the marks. The scratches vanished in seconds and Serana’s eyes flickered open. She began to cry loudly, drawing Sylphur and Strix, Ryland and Jeremiah at their heels.


End file.
